Middle East
His weeklong trip, which is scheduled to include stops in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and possibly Morocco, is planned for the last week of February.
“The Ministerial Conference to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East” will include U.S. and Israeli officials, as well as the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain.
The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation on Tuesday that, if enacted, would impose fresh sanctions on Syria, and boost security cooperation with Israel and Jordan.
The two are expected to meet with foreign officials on the highly anticipated Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said will be released after the Israeli elections on April 9.
The TIPH consists of 13 local staff and 64 members from Turkey, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Italy. Two incidents involve staff members caught on camera attacking Israelis.
The Palestinian Authority is stepping up its efforts to seize control of the strategic area of Nahal Heletz, a valley that runs between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the talks will not be “driven” by the United States, but by Israelis and Palestinians themselves.
Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian legislator and a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, had tweeted that the United States has “zero credibility” and should not be trusted when it comes to various statements on its anticipated peace plan.
A report on Israel’s Channel 13 News revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” will involve a Palestinian state on 85-90 percent of Judea and Samaria, as well as dividing Jerusalem.
“Countries will all come together to focus on Middle East stability and peace and freedom and security ... in this region, and that includes an important element of making sure that Iran is not a destabilizing influence,” said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The top U.S. diplomat proceeded to highlight the Trump administration’s accomplishments in the region in that “we’ve learned from our mistakes. We’ve rediscovered our voice. We’ve rebuilt our relationships. We’ve rejected false overtures from our enemies.”
Egypt is one of eight countries that Pompeo is scheduled to visit on a weeklong trip that may also include stops in Israel and Iraq.
